Match Preview: Inter Milan vs Atalanta on August 30: Home Side Expected to Overcome Challenges

The prediction for Inter Milan vs Atalanta leans slightly towards the home team, though this is expected to be a challenging match for the Nerazzurri.

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Football Prediction: Inter Milan vs Atalanta: Home Team Determined to Win

After starting their Scudetto defense with a 2-2 draw at Genoa earlier this month, Inter was eager to secure a win against struggling Serie A side Lecce when they met in Milan last weekend. Matteo Darmian scored just 5 minutes into the match to help the Nerazzurri take control, and Hakan Calhanoglu converted a penalty—his 17th consecutive successful penalty in Serie A—to secure all three points for the reigning champions.

In the last 12 Serie A seasons, Inter Milan has not lost their first home game. They have won all of their last 6 opening home games. In Round 3, Simone Inzaghi’s team will face a challenge against Atalanta. Last season, Inter remained unbeaten against all five top rivals on their way to the title, so Inzaghi will aim to continue this record into the current season, starting with the match against Atalanta. The prediction for Inter Milan vs Atalanta slightly favors the home team, with recent history certainly on their side, as Inter easily won 4-0 when the two clubs met at Giuseppe Meazza last season.

The last time Inter Milan lost to Atalanta in Serie A was in 2018. In fact, Atalanta has not won in their last 11 top-flight encounters with Inter, indicating a clear advantage for the home team in the upcoming match.

Although Atalanta cannot compete for the title with the Nerazzurri, they had a decent Serie A season last year, finishing in the Top 5, and also won the Europa League. Gian Piero Gasperini—who had a brief and unsuccessful stint as Inter’s head coach—is the one who led the team to the C2 Cup victory in the 2023/24 season. However, a difficult summer transfer window has dampened the visitors’ hopes for a successful season.

With stars like Teun Koopmeiners and Ademola Lookman trying to leave—and other key players sidelined due to injuries—Atalanta lost to Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup. They then started Serie A with a 4-0 win over Lecce but lost 1-2 to Torino in their most recent match. Mateo Retegui continued his scoring run, but Mario Pasalic missed a penalty in stoppage time, preventing a 2-2 draw.

Once again, Inter’s coach Simone Inzaghi may be without captain Lautaro Martinez this week due to a muscle issue. Former Porto forward Mehdi Taremi featured in the match against Lecce and will compete with Marko Arnautovic to partner with Marcus Thuram up front. Meanwhile, Dutch defender Stefan de Vrij has returned to full training and may be on the bench alongside summer signing Piotr Zielinski, though Tajon Buchanan remains sidelined with a leg injury.

Atalanta’s head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will continue to fill some gaps in his squad, with Teun Koopmeiners preparing to join Juventus and Europa League hero Ademola Lookman also awaiting a potential transfer. Previously, El Bilal Toure left for Stuttgart and goalkeeper Juan Musso joined Atletico Madrid.

Furthermore, Giorgio Scalvini and Gianluca Scamacca are long-term absentees, while Sead Kolasinac and Mitchel Bakker will miss this weekend’s match. After scoring three goals in the first two Serie A games for La Dea, Mateo Retegui will partner with Charles De Ketelaere in attack; new signing Raoul Bellanova will compete with Davide Zappacosta for the right-back position.

Inter Milan vs Atalanta Prediction

  • Inter Milan to Win: Both teams are not at full strength, but Inter Milan is still favored. Besides the home advantage, their excellent head-to-head record against Atalanta is significant. The 4-0 home victory last season certainly provides a strong motivation for the reigning champions to aim for another three points.
  • Over 2.5 Goals: Both teams have top attacking players, and it is quite possible that both teams will score, with the match ending with at least 3 goals. Statistics also show that 4 out of the last 5 encounters between the two teams have had more than 2 goals.

Score Prediction: Inter Milan 2-1 Atalanta

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